88 



All the superior perennial grasses thrive under irrigation, when the meadow is properly 

 formed. The following species of grass I have invariably found to constitute the produce of 

 the hest water-meadows. Meadow fox-tail, (Alopecuruspratensis); round panicled cock's-foot, 

 (Dactijlis glomemta); field brome-grass, (Bromus arvensis); meadow fescue, (Fcstuoa pra- 

 tensis); these occupied the crowns and sides of the ridges. The furrows were stocked Avith 

 the creeping bent, (Agrostis stolonifera); marsh bent, (Agrostis palastris); hard fescue f^es- 

 tuca chirmscula) ; lesser variety of meadow cat's-tail, (Phleumpratense, M'ixx, minus); woolly soft- 

 grass, (Holcus lanatm); rough-stalked meadows-grass, (Foa trivialis); meadow fescue, (Fes- 

 tuca pratensis) ; and a small admixture of other species, which were thinly scattered over every 

 part of the ridge; these were, meadow barley, (Hordeum jf?mtoz5ej; yellow or golden oat, 

 (Avena jlavescens); crested dogs-tail, (Cynosurus cristatus); rye-grass, (Lolium perenne); 

 sweet-scented vernal-grass, (Anthoxanthiim odoratum); tufted vetch, (Vicia cracca); with a 

 larger proportion of the tall oat-like soft-grass, (Holciis avenaceusj. The meadow cat's-tail, 

 (FhleumpratenseJ, I never met with in irrigated meadows, but only the lesser variety of it, 

 and that not very prevalent. It is a very common grass, however, in some natural meadows 

 that I have had an opportunity to examine. The soil of the water-meadows which produced the 

 above grasses, was either a deep active peat, incumbent on a siliceous sand, or a sandy loam on 

 a chalky or gravelly subsoil. In some irrigated meadows, that I examined, where the ridges 

 were formed nearly flat, and the soil consisted of a sandy loam on a retentive clayey subsoil, 



r" 



the following grasses constituted the chief produce: crested Ao^'^-t^iA, (Cynosurus cristatus); 

 creeping-rooted soft-grass, (Holcus mollis); rye-grass, ( Lolium perenne); meadow barley, 

 (Hordeum prat ense) ; tall oat-like soft-grass, (Holcus avenaceus) ; sweet-scented vernal; and soft 

 brome-grass, (Holcus mollis). Though this soil was not entirely destitute of the superior kinds 

 of grasses mentioned as the produce of the former meadows, yet they were in very small quan- 

 tity, being thinly scattered over certain portions of the ridges only. It seems probable, that 

 the flatness of the ridges tended much to prevent these grasses from flourishing on the sandy 

 loam incumbent on clay, for I invariably found the head ridges, which had been raised con- 

 slderably above the level of the rest, as the first conductors of the water, were plentifully 

 Stocked with the superior grasses, and as productive of grass, as those of the first-mentioned 

 meadows. 



Valuation, 



1803. March 29^ 240 sheep three weeks^ at sixpence per head 



Spring food per acre, at 21^ 

 June 23, 18 ton of hay, at 4/. 

 Aug. 20, 13f ditto, at4Z. 



Sept. 16, SO fat sheep, three weeks at fourpence 



Lean bullocks 



£18 5 



73 



56 



4 



1804. Feb, 27, 164 hog-sheep, nine weeks at fivepence 



J 



Spring food per acre, 31, 8s, 4:d, 



£150 5 



^0 15 



Vk 



'-t 



For full details respecting the construction and value of irrigated meadows, consult Brown's Rural Affairs, page 26:5; 

 Young's Annals ; Agricultural Surveys, viz. Middlesex, by Marshall, i.p.284; Wilts, by Davis; Dorset, by Coldridge; 

 Hants, by Driver ; Brecknock, by Clark ; Communications to the Board of Agriculture, vol. iv. 



